About Bimblebox Nature Refuge

Each September since 2012 artists have traveled to the Bimblebox Nature Refuge, NW of Alpha in Central Qld., to walk, camp and explore this semi arid, desert uplands environment. What they discover is an unexpected diversity of ecosystems in an environment which manages two purposes. As a refuge for indigenous flora and fauna existing as it has for thousands of years and a sustainable cattle property. Bimblebox is also the site of ongoing research in native ecology and sustainable grazing practices.

Bimblebox Nature Refuge is under threat from a massive coal mine, one of many coal mines proposed for the Galilee Basin.

“The average-sized coal mine in Queensland currently produces around 5 million tonnes (Mt) of coal every year. The Alpha Coal project would produce 30 Mt per annum, but this would not be the largest in the new basin. It is anticipatedAdani’s Carmichael mine could produce around 60 Mt of coal every year, for up to 150 years. Altogether, if all the current proposed mines in the Galilee Basin go ahead, a total of more than 300 Mt of coal will be dug out of the area every year. That would amount to an increase of Queensland’s coal production by around 150%…

…The likely climate impacts from the opening of the Galilee Basin are both significant and are currently unaccounted for in Australia’s assessment and approval processes. If all the projects go ahead, the annual emissions from burning Galilee Basin coal would amount to around 130% of Australia’s current total annual emissions. It’s enough to make you question our governments’ commitment to cutting global emissions.”

“Some of these nature reserves, we’re talking about those like Bimblebox, have extraordinarily high conservation values and they would be really plus-one or two nature reserves by international standards,”